Friday’s terrorist attack on Paris resulted in a State of Emergency for the city, and many scheduled events were cancelled, including a U2 concert that was due to be broadcast live on Saturday night. “If you think about it, the majority of victims last night are music fans,” said Bono on Saturday. “This is the first direct hit on music that we’ve had in this so-called War on Terror or whatever it’s called.” Life is slowly, cautiously returning to normal this week (the Louvre and other museums and galleries reopened today). And several concerts will go ahead, including one by U2’s countrymen, Stiff Little Fingers.
The Belfast punk band posted a message to fans on its Facebook page this morning, confirming the gig and reminding people that a music show is part of ‘normal’ life. “Our sincere condolences go out to everyone affected by the Parisian tragedies. The music business is often sheltered from the harsh realities of life and this weekend they have come home with a dreadful finality. As you may know, Stiff Little Fingers are scheduled to play in Paris tomorrow evening and there is a lot of confusion around this date as shows are being cancelled or re-scheduled and so on. When we were growing up in Belfast, I was always saddened by the fact that groups would never come and play there because of the political situation. I was deprived of another ‘normal’ part of life. With this in mind, and with the wonderful co-operation of our Parisian promoter, the S.L.F. show at Backstage at the Mill, WILL GO AHEAD AS ADVERTISED tomorrow night.”
